I fished Monday 12 miles southwest of New Pass with Rich Cotter and friend, Blaine, using live shrimp. We got into a nice school of Spanish mackerel, and caught lots of them, all around 24 inches. We released grouper shorts and grunts. We saw a school of permit, but could not get close enough to get a bite.

Tom Vogel, son Jason, 9 years old, and son Ryan, 14 years old fished the artificial reefs with me Wednesday morning. We had to dodge numerous thundershowers, and the bite was kind of slow early, but we caught keeper mangrove snapper, triggerfish and grunts before heading in. I noticed a huge red tide bloom around New Pass.

Thursday, I fished the Bonita reefs with Jose Garcia and sons, Hector and Eric, Robert Garcia and son, Kevin, and friend Alex. We used live shrimp to catch keeper mangrove snapper and triggerfish, as well as twenty-five Spanish mackerel to 26 inches. Estero Bay in the New Pass area was littered with dead bait fish, spade fish, and sand bream, as red tide takes its toll.

Ron, Sharon, Chase, Desi, Sonia, and Bill Beck fished with me Friday, off the Registry Resort, and also at the 240 Ledge. We caught lots of Spanish mackerel to 26 inches, big porkfish, grunts and porgies, all on shrimp.